It didn't have to
by Ash4
Summary: Will takes Syd to a hockey game. (S/Vers will like this too)


Title: It didn't have to  
Author: Ash (AshletX512@aol.com)  
Summary: Will takes Sydney to a hockey game. (I'm not saying anything else,  
but you S/Vers will enjoy this too.)  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the TV series Alias.  
A/N: Again, this isn't what I normally write. But I was working on Secrets and got writer's block so I went to bed and thought of this. Kudos to those who can guess where I going with this before I actually say it. Thanks to my Beta Tasa.  
Finished: 02-18-02  
  
~~~~  
  
Sydney was planning a perfectly uneventful night of Chinese takeout and Friday night stand-up on Comedy Central. After the week she'd had, she needed to laugh. These plans were shattered at the ringing of the phone. She groaned and picked it up slowly, wondering who would ruin her weekend of relaxation this time.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Syd. It's me." She didn't mind that much that it would be Will to destroy the perfect night she had planned. "You doing anything?"  
  
"I guess not." Sydney said, flipping off the TV and sitting up from her horizontal position on the couch. "What's up?"  
  
"Well, for the oddest reason my boss has decided to be nice to me and gave me a simple story on this local hockey team. She gave me two tickets, and Jenny couldn't go..."  
  
"Glad to hear I was your first choice." Sydney could almost hear Will smile through the phone.  
  
"Truthfully, I never asked her. She's out of town. I thought you might like to go since I caught you watching that King's game on TV. I'm not sure when you started liking hockey, but I could use the company."  
  
"Pick me up in half an hour, then?"  
  
"I'll be there." He paused. "Hey Syd?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I know you like to sit back and relax on weekends, so thanks for doing this with me."  
  
Sydney was already headed to her bedroom to change out of her comfy flannel pajamas. "Anytime." She said before hanging up.  
  
~~~  
  
Forty-five minutes later Will's Jeep pulled into a space in the parking lot of the local ice skating rink. Sydney had been here before. It was amazing how easily you could lose yourself while flying around the large oval sheet of ice.  
  
"I don't know about you, but I'm heading to the snack bar first." Will held open the door to the rink for her after he gave the teenage volunteer their tickets.  
  
"How is it possible that you're always hungry?" Sydney asked, completely curious.  
  
"I guess I'm just lucky." He smiled and quickly made his way over to the line for food.  
  
Sydney was amazed when she counted that Will's stomach growled three times during the five-minute wait in line. When they reached the counter, he said "Finally!" and promptly ordered two hot dogs, a slice of pizza, a bag of popcorn, a Kit Kat bar, and a beer. "Anything for you?" he asked innocently and she couldn't help laughing.  
  
"I think you're eating enough for the both of us." She said, smiling.  
  
Through bites of his large dinner, Will informed Sydney that the teams were composed of regular hard-working guys from the community, who met and played on weekends. They weren't professionals, just people who loved playing hockey. All the profits from admission and the refreshment stand went to the local chapter of the Humane Society. He was doing something of a human-interest story on these great, sports-loving players.  
  
When he finished stuffing his face, Will led Sydney through the stands and to the ice. He wore his homemade press pass proudly around his neck and took out a small notebook and pen. Sydney followed behind her companion as he went down to the bench.  
  
Sydney stopped at the spot where the hockey sticks were placed, awaiting use. She noted it was still 20 minutes before the game was to start. Sydney smoothed her finger along the length of one of the sticks. Truthfully she never was a real hockey fan. She kept remembering one situation where one of the older boys in their neighborhood had told her she couldn't play this game with them when she was younger because she was a girl. Since she had seen the King's pen in Vaughn's briefcase, she had checked the TV Guide for whenever a game would be on.  
  
"Thanks for allowing me to do this interview. Let's start with an easy question. Your name?"  
  
Sydney's train of thought was broken by Will's conversation with one of the player's. Uninterested until now, she had vaguely heard Will explain to one of the players what information he needed out of him for the article.  
  
"Mike Vaughn." Sydney thought her ears were deceiving her until she whipped around to see that Will was in fact interviewing her handler. As she turned however, in a totally ungraceful move, she sent the pile of vertically standing hockey sticks crashing to the floor.  
  
Vaughn's clear blue eyes quickly zipped from Will's direction to the source of the noise, and was equally startled when he saw Sydney. He kept his cool though and told her as he helped her pick up the sticks "You should be more careful, miss, we need these to play."  
  
Sydney, experienced through the many secret meetings in public, whispered quietly to him "Is this OK? I can think of a reason to leave..."  
  
Equally talented at talking quietly Vaughn answered, "Stay. You're not blowing your cover. I wouldn't want to ruin your night out."  
  
She nodded slightly then said loudly "I'm so sorry. I'll be more careful next time." As she stood the last hockey stick up into its original position.  
  
Will joined the conversation. "This is my friend Sydney, she's not normally a klutz." he said, almost apologizing for her.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Sydney." Vaughn said, smiling warmly.  
  
"It's a pleasure." She said, shaking his outstretched hand. When Will had talked her into this, she would have never thought it would be so...surprising. Imagine meeting Vaughn here! And she definitely didn't expect him to look so good in a hockey uniform.  
  
"Now, if Sydney doesn't feel the need to break anything else, let's continue." Will told Vaughn, not noticing the wide smile on Sydney's face.  
  
"Let's." Vaughn answered, awaiting the next question.  
  
"OK, where do you work?" Will asked, preparing to take notes at the answer.  
  
"Well, I work for the government. But if I tell you any more than that I'd have to kill you." He and Sydney laughed at that and Will looked at each of them like they were insane then laughed along as if he knew what was so funny.  
  
Sydney could see that she wasn't helping the interview process and excused herself to go and save some seats for Will and herself. Sydney chose two seats that were close enough to the front to hear bits of their conversation, but far enough away to be excluded from it. She knew that in the short time she was with Will and Vaughn, she had commanded Vaughn's attention and made Will feel like the third wheel.  
  
She listened to what she could, hearing Vaughn tell Will that he just played for the love of the game. He had once wanted to be a professional player, but opted to take a job to serve his country instead. How noble. She couldn't help but think that Vaughn was just the type of guy mothers would love their daughters to bring home, before remembering whom her mother was. Sydney thought of how every girl that read Will's article would swoon if they  
read Vaughn's comments and saw his picture.  
  
She didn't realize she had zoned out until Will plopped down into the seat beside her. "He seemed like a really great guy." Will informed her.  
  
"I guess." Sydney answered, feigning disinterest.  
  
The buzzer started the game then, and she noticed that the stands of the small rink had filled up. People really must love these games. Though the King's game she had watched on TV wasn't that exciting, Sydney soon found herself on her feet and yelling with the rest of the fans as the game got going. She cheered when Vaughn's team scored and booed when the other team. She knew when the ref made an unfair call and cursed out loud with the rest of the crowd. Sydney even surprised Will with her strange passion for this male sport. In the end, though, the score was 5 to 6. Vaughn's team lost. The crowd filed out quickly, leaving Will and Sydney alone in the stands within minutes.  
  
"I'm going to go talk to someone from the winning team." Will told her.  
  
"OK. I'll wait here."  
  
Sydney watched Will trot off to the other bench, his notebook in hand. She was glad he could be so happy doing his job. Sydney couldn't even remember the last time she had fun at work. Speaking of work, she could now see Vaughn slowly meandering towards her, as if to look as their meeting was just a coincidence. His normally spiky hair was matted down on his head from the pressure of the helmet and he was sweating profusely.  
  
"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" He asked her.  
  
"I did." She answered smiling. "But I have to be completely honest with you." She said, growing serious.  
  
"What is it?" He asked, matching her serious tone.  
  
"You stink. Go take a shower." She informed him before breaking into a smile again.  
  
"Well, Miss Bristow, a man can only take so much flattery." He turned to leave so he could follow her order.  
  
"Vaughn, seriously." She waited until he turned around again. "I know you said hockey could wait, but I'm glad it didn't have to." He smiled. "But next time, I want you here spilling beer on me rather than Will."  
  
He nodded, wishing the same thing.  
  
~~~  
  
Fini  
  
A/N: I know absolutely nothing about hockey. Notice how I didn't really talk about what position Vaughn played or how points work or anything? The only hockey I have watched ever was like 20 minutes of the celebrity ESPN thing, and only becuase Micheal Vartan was in it. I originally wanted to make a whole bunch of allusions to that game, but I couldn't remember anything (i.e. names of the teams [Vartan played for the Angels, but I don't remember the other one], the final score... Would someone like to help me if you know so I can add it in? Pretty please? *batts eyes sweetly*  
  
Hope you liked my little fluff fest. I really have to work on my other pieces, but this idea wouldn't let me. Please Review and tell me how good I am (I'm the modest one) to encourage me to keep writing. :) 


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